TFC 5: Amarasinghe, Yakoob eye glory in Thailand

Friday, 7 January 2022 00:41 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Among many sports Sri Lankans have made their international appearances, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) is not something the local fans are that much familiar with.

However, two Sri Lankan fighting sensations, Malinda ‘Boyka’ Amarasinghe and Ajmal ‘Yaka’ Yakoob are set to make history when they take to the ring in Bangkok – Thailand today (7 Jan,) at the Thailand Fighting Championship (TFC 5).

Amarasinghe, who hails from Kurunegala, will take on the former ONE Championship fighter Rockie Bactol in the feature event of the competition, which includes a card of five fights, including the showdown between Yakoob and seasoned campaigner Simon Stracey.

The two fighters have won a number of events locally, including national championships in multiple combat sport disciplines. Amarasinghe is a national level gold medallist in Wushu and full contact karate while Yakoob trained in Dubai under top coaches and fighters in the game. Yakoob is also a winner at the Muay Thai Asian Games selection tournament in 2018.

Familiar rivals in the past, but friends at present, both Amarasinghe and Yakoob are determined to excel in their respective fights despite the tough status of their opponents.

Hailing from the Philippines, Bactol is riding high on a two-fight winning streak and will be looking to continue the same when he steps into the main event of TFC 5.

Fighting out of Fight Soul, Amarasinghe, on the other hand, has the opportunity to produce a huge upset and fly the Sri Lankan flag high in the Asian MMA circuit for the very first time.

“My opponent Bactol is a former ONE champion, and they are way ahead of us when it comes to experience and standards. Our fight is also the feature event in TFC 5, and I am honoured to take part in the main event of such a big event which has a huge following among martial arts lovers in the region.

“I am determined to raise the Sri Lanka flag at the event with a win and after that I am also going to take part in the next ONE Championship,” Amarasinghe said.

Yakoob is also determined to bring honour to the country.

“When we go and fight the way we fight matters. It doesn’t matter if you lose or win, but how you fight it matters. Because if we fight bad, that’s not good for the country. So, it has to carry the quality. The quality is very important, and the standard is very important.

“Basically, when we fight, when we represent Sri Lanka, then people get to know that there are Sri Lankan MMA fighters. Definitely we will open the door for the other people as well. The new generation who are willing to come and fight and compete. So, I’ll be fighting in more events and I will be fighting at the ONE Championship as well, very soon,” Yakoob said prior to their departure for Thailand.